2023 Storm, Vrede, Pinot Noir, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, South Africa

Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating and, at times, infuriating wine grape in the world. However, when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape, which grows in small, tight bunches, performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone-based subsoils. It is more susceptible than other varieties to overcropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive, and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of Burgundy's Côte d'Or.

Winemaker Hannes Storm worked 12 vintages in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley before discovering two parcels of land with exceptional terroir and embarking on his eponymous project, Storm Wines. His aspiration is clear: to create wines with a sense of place. His natural approach and careful viticulture produce classically proportioned wines with distinctive personalities and innate purity.